Jake Reiner, son of the late Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, is speaking out on his parents' deaths in an emotional new essay.
"Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time. It’s too devastating to comprehend," Jake Reiner wrote in a Substack essay titled "Mom and Dad," published Friday, April 24. "I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare."
Rob and Michele Singer Reiner shared Jake along with son Nick Reiner, daughter Romy and Rob Reiner's adopted daughter Tracy Reiner.
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The acclaimed "Princess Bride" director and his producer wife were found dead in their Southern California home on Dec. 14. Days later, prosecutors filed criminal charges against their son, Nick Reiner, who is accused of "fatally stabbing" his parents.
Jake Reiner said he "was robbed of so many things that day," he wrote. "My parents won't be at my wedding, they won't get to hold their future grandchild, and they won't get to see me have the successful career I'm still seeking. It simultaneously breaks my heart and enrages me."
Jake Reiner also revealed the moment he learned about the deaths of his parents.
"On the afternoon of December 14, I was in Union Station at a celebration of life for one of my best friends, Christian Anderson, who died in October. It was at that moment I received a call from my sister Romy telling me our father was dead. Minutes later, she called back telling me our mother was also dead."
Jake Reiner says parents didn't 'deserve' to be killed
Jake Reiner's brother Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders in their parents' deaths, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced during a Dec. 16 press conference.
The 32-year-old screenwriter also faces a special allegation that he used a dangerous and deadly weapon, namely a knife, in the couple's killing. The special circumstance of multiple murders can entail a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole – or the death penalty.
"I can't even begin to put myself in my parents' shoes, but one thing I keep coming back to is how frightened they must have been," Jake Reiner wrote on Substack.
"They were the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them. They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world."
He added: "They should be enjoying the rest of their lives peacefully while growing older together. Instead, that was ripped away from them, from me, from Romy, and there was nothing we could do about it."
Jake Reiner pays tribute to 'hero' Rob Reiner, 'confidant' Michele Singer Reiner
Jake Reiner looked back on his loving relationship with his parents in his Substack essay, calling father Rob Reiner his "hero."
"The way my dad presented himself in the public eye was exactly the beautiful person he was at home," Jake Reiner wrote. "He was authentic, passionate, and his sense of humor has always been my sense of humor."
He added that his father "supported me in whatever I wanted to do with my life," including his decision to pursue an acting career.
"I was nervous when I made the switch from broadcasting to acting because I didn't know how he'd react," Jake Reiner recalled. "I guess I should've known because all he ever wanted was for me to be happy and love what I do. I wish he and I could've worked on a project together from start to finish."
Regarding his mother, Jake Reiner said Michele Singer Reiner was his "confidant," as well as "the heart of our entire family."
"She was the one who planned every Thanksgiving, complained how it was too much work every year, vowed never to host again, and then promptly hosted it the following year," he wrote. "She was the one who planned every trip we ever took as a family, and she always planned it perfectly. She had a passion for life most people wish they could attain."
Jake Reiner also reflected on the various childhood outings he had with his parents, including baseball games with his father and attending Broadway musicals with his mother.
"It's not lost on me that I was able to have these incredible experiences, that most people don't get to have, because of who my parents were," Jake Reiner wrote. "But I would trade every Dodger game, every Broadway show, every vacation, if I could just spend just one more hour talking to them and to say goodbye."
Jake Reiner gets candid on 'horrendous' grief over parents' deaths
Jake Reiner also opened up about the emotional aftermath of his parents' deaths.
"Every day since then has been horrendous," Jake Reiner wrote. "Every meeting we take, every person we talk to, every tear we shed, every movement we make is connected to our parents being murdered.
"In the middle of trying to process the most devastating moment of your life, the world demands meetings, paperwork, decisions, and explanations; as if documentation must come before mourning."
In February, Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty to the murder charges brought against him. His next hearing is set for April 29.
"We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable," Jake Reiner wrote. "Sure, any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it. It's almost too impossible to process."
Jake Reiner asked the public for "love and compassion" as his family navigates the months ahead.
"I understand that people have questions about what happened. Some of those answers will come in time," Reiner concluded. "But some parts of this belong only to our family, and keeping them private is the only way to protect what little remains of something that was taken from us."
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rob and Michele Reiner's son Jake Reiner speaks out on parents' deaths
